Oct. 3, 2013 - 05:44PM
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About 50 Samís Club stores near military bases will temporarily waive membership requirements for military personnel, retirees and their families until the government resumes operations at stateside commissaries.

Usually those who shop at the clubs without buying a membership are charged an additional 10 percent at the cash register.

The deal for military families ďallows them to shop at the clubs as if they were members,Ē said Samís Club spokeswoman Carrie Foster.

Stateside commissaries, including those in Alaska and Hawaii, were closed Oct. 2 because of the government shutdown. Overseas commissaries remain open.

To get membership fee requirements waived, shoppers should show any proof of past or present military service at the member services desks or at checkout, Foster said.

Shoppers should call their local Samís Club before going to ask if they are participating, Foster said. Participation in the effort is voluntary at each store.

Samís Club officials identified 50 clubs near military bases that would participate in the effort. For example, there is a Samís Club 3.9 miles from Fort Sill, Okla.; thereís one 3.5 miles away from the Fort Lee, Va., commissary, where the Defense Commissary Agency headquarters is also located; and thereís one 5.8 miles away from Fort Bragg, N.C.